Locomotive



(No Mom.) I 2 sheets-sheen 1.

W. E. COLE.

LOUOMOTIVE.

N. PETERS, Phoo-umagmpher. wzshlngmn. D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. E. COLE-T LOOMOTIVB.

No. 277,994. Patented May 22, 1883,.

V551/M5 w I' I XL1/@712572 Y by MC/.mamma 55g.

UNITEDI STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.WILLIAM E. COLE, OF MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

LOCOMOTIVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,994, dated May 22,1,883.

Application filed March 15, 1883: (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: l

Beit known that I, WILLIAM EDWARD' COLE, acitizen of the UnitedStates,residin g at Montgomery, in the county of Montgomery and State ofAlabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pole-RoadLocomotives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in locomotives that are driven fromthe engine by means of endless chains passing over sprocket- Wheelssecured to the driving-shaft and to the axle of the supporting-wheelsand the object of my improvements are, first, to providealocomotiveadapted to travel upon rough tracks made of poles laid end to end uponthe ground, in which tracks cross-ties are dispensed with 5 second, toprovide flexible means for connecting the four driving-wheels with themotive power, and also to permit said motive power to be rocked andmoved laterally upon the earryingwheels. I attain these objects by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l isa perspective View of the locomotive, with the water-tank and fuel-boxre moved. Fig. 2 is top view of the truck, with the boiler and engineremoved therefrom. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section ofthesaine, and Fig. 4t is a transverse vertical section of the same.

Like letters indicate like parts in all thefig` ures.

A. A represent poles or logs, which are laid end lo end in two parallellilies to form. a track, as is customary in lumber districts, said trackvbeingwithout cross-ties, and from the nature of the material and theabsence of any careful preliminary grading, unevenness, variable gage,and other irregularities always exist, so that to adapt cars andlocomotives to be used with practicable success on such atrack certainpeculiarities in the constructing of the rolling stock are necessary'.To provide a locomotive which shall adapt-itself to the necessaryirregularities in the distance from each other that the poles or logsmay be set at different points in the track.by reason of crooks in thelogs, and to render each ofthe traction-wheels cEect# ive in itsfunction of draft and security upon the rails or logs, I groove saidwheels and drive each independently of all the others, andpermitlongitudinal movement of each upon its axle. To bemore specific, each ofthe wheels B is looselyjourualed upon the axle O. and in practice theaxle projects beyond the wheel at each end about four inches, thusallowing for eight inches variation in the gage ofthe track. Said wheelsare retained upon the axle. by suitable means, such as nuts, linchpins,or a collar, b2. The wheels being` grooved, as shown, lateral curvaturein either rail or Alogacts to move the wheel longitudinally upon theaxle, and this movementnecessitates a exible connection with the motivepower, I therefore secure to the spokes of each wheel a sprocket, b,preferably fitting the hub of the wheel exteriorly, and drive saidsprocket by a chain,

b', passing'over a sprocket, d, secured to the counter-shaftD,whichextends across the frame E, and is provided with a master-gear, 1)',which is driven by a pinion, j', secured to the crank-sh aftof an engine mounted on the frame. In this instance I have shown au upright engine, G, and boiler H; but I do not wish to be understood as limitingmyself to any particular kind or class of engines or boilers, otherscan, with ordinary mechanical skill, be adapted to the end in view. Eachof the wheels` being driven independently and directly from a singleshaft, it will be seen that if all the sprockets are placed on the outersides of the wheels said driving-shaft would necessarily be long enoughto receive and operate the two required sprockets outside of the frame,and, furthermore, the alignments of the sprocketchains could not bepreserved without an excessively long shaft, which by being thuslengthened would be also in the same degree y weakened or moreliable tospring and become bent. I therefore arrange the sprockets of thefrontwheels ofthe truck upon the in ner sides ot' said wheels,and thesprockets ofthe rear wheels upon the outer sides and the sprocket uponthe driving-shaft are located so thatupon a straight track the 'chainsare in true lines parallel with eachother, and the wheels occupy amedium position on their axles, with liberty to move thereon in eitherdirection. This disposition of the sprocket leads to a peeuliarity inthe construction of the frame E, in that its forward end is narrowerthan itslrear end, in order that room shall be made for the forwardsprocket-wheels.

I would here remark that the terms fronti7 IOO 2 stacca and rear,7 asapplied to the ends of the frame, are relative, and maybeinterchangeablyused. Either end may be narrower than the other, and theinner sprocketed wheels may be at the narrower end whether it be frontor rear.v

By the construction lthus far described it will be seen that each of thewheels is positively driven, and will perform its function of draft solong as it is driven, without regard to the active work of any of theother Wheels, as in case of breakage ot" one or more of the chains; butthe remaining wheel or wheels are positively operating, and locomotionis uninterrupted.

Obstructions, depressions, andy unevenness in the poles or tracks,together with other usual imperfections therein, require some essentialfeatures in the locomotive-frame for practical operation. I thereforemake provision for independent movement of any one ot' the wheelsvertically without altering to an injurious extent the general level ofthe frame, whereby the boiler and engine are caused to ride moresmoothly than would otherwise be the case. To accomplish this I curvethe under surface of those cross-beams of the frame which ride upon theaxles (J, as shown at e, Figs. 1 and 4, and connect them to the axles bya bolt, c', arranged centrally and litting ,somewhat loosely a hole inthe axle, not for the purpose of a pivotal connection, but to preventmovement of the frame longitudinally upon the axle. Furthermore,depending pedestals or brackets c are secured to the side beams of theframe in front and rear of the axle, at each end, to prevent pivotalmovement thereof about the bolt c as a center, but to permit a verticalmovement of each side of the frame-that is, to allow the frame to rockupon the axles; and straps c2, passing under the brackets and axlesstrengthen the former and prevent undue movement ofthe latter. Rubber orother springs may also beused between the ends of the curved beams andthe axles.

Suitable coupling-links may bc provided whereby cars constructed likethe truck or frame E,butwithout-meansof locomotion, may be drawn by thelocomotive herein shown.

Not only may changes in the character of the engine and boiler be madeWithout departing from my invention, but other means of connectionbetween each of the-wheels and the motor may be employed, and, so far asdriving each of the wheels independently of the others is concerned, theconstruction of the truck may be materially different from that shownand described, so that in these and other like particulars I do notconfine myself, butdeeni such variations as comprehended by myinvention.

Having described my invention and its operation, what I claim as new isl. The combination of the poles A and the locomotive-frame E, providedwith grooved Wheels B, each having a free longitudinal play upon theaxle at all times, substantially as specified'.

2. The combination of the locomotive-frame having cross-beams curvedupon their under surfaces, as at e, and resting upon the axles, andhaving depending brackets c, with the axle C and grooved wheels B,having at all times a free longitudinal play thereon, substantially asspecified.

3. The combination ot' a locomotive-frame provided with wheels having atall times a free longitudinal play upon the axles thereof, and means fordriving each of the wheels independently of the others, with chains,substantially as specied.

4. The combination of a frame, a motor mounted thereon, a pair ofsprockets mounted on each end of a shaft connected to said motor, an d afront and rear wheel, each provided with a sprocket arranged onrelatively opposite sides of said wheels, and chains connecting thesprockets ofthe shaft, and ofthe wheels having a free longitudinal playupon the axle, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of a boiler and engine, front and rear wheels havingrespectively inner and outer sprockets secured thereon, with a framenarrower at the front, and having a shaft bearing sprockets and locatedbetween said wheels, and with independent chains connecting said shaftswith the inner and-outer sprockets, substantially as described.

6. rlhe combination of the engine C and a frame, E, having groovedWheels B, each having a free longitudinal Vplay upon their axle, and asprocket, b, and connected by a chain, b', to a shaft, D, adapted to berotated by said engine, substantially as described.

7. rlhe combination of the truck E, having curved cross-beams e,pedestals c, and straps c2, with the axle C and loosely -journaledwheels B, having atvall times afree longitudinal play upon the axles,substantially as described.

8. rIlhe combination of the engine G, boiler H, crank-shaft F, pinionj', gear D', shaft D, sprockets d d, frame E, axles C, wheels B,sprockets b, and chains b', substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.,

WILLIAM EDWARD COLE.

Witnesses:

E. E. MASSON, L. C. HILLS.

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